Shot some ZZ's this weekend. Similar to box birds but lots of low stuff and no drivers. Tough shooting for a 73 year old. By the way my gun had two barrels but they were vertical and said K-80.

bill

So, how'd you like 'em overall? Were you using the regulation 28 gram loads or the previously allowed 32 gram or even 36 gram flyer loads? The latter are still used by some for anything aside from sanctioned USHA regulation matches on this side of the pond. Over 'there' you will be restricted to the 28 gram loads for all sanctioned matches as well as the World Cup.

Some find the timing is quite a bit dif from flyers. I think helice is more 'right now(!)' or instinctive shooting than most other games.

Helice is the only target game where the target is accelerating from the moment of release. All pitch or clay targets are slowing from the moment they leave the machine's 'arm.

Drivers are among the possible targets at helice and they can and often will 'jump' the fence at the last moment as well. You'd swear it was impossible, until you understand that the barrier or wrap frequently creates a cushion of dead or non turbulent air very near the fence that allows the prop to get an extra 'bite' and go over.

Personally, I think they are great fun and enjoy shooting them w/some frequency. Until not so long ago a 7 in a 10 bird race was a good score. Today, it takes much more than that to play at the top and a handful [something <6] of straights have been posted in 30 bird races at sanctioned matches. BTW, the US has done very well in recent World Cup competitions.

Unfortunally our club here in North Carolina stopped doing the ZZ Birds. They were a lot of fun. We first had what was called American ZZ where the propeller was metal and the cap was plastic. The propeller could be used multiple times with out replacing. The best thing about that was after being shot so many times the propeller would get bent and would make it fly more eractic just like a real bird.
The company went out of buisness and the club modified their machines to take the newer plastic targets. That resulted in a price increase from a $1 a bird to $3 a bird.
I used a Perazzi SC3 or a 32" Winchester 21 with IMOD and Full chokes and shot AA
7 1/2 shot or in cometition B&P Pigeon loads or at the time they offered Helice loads of 1 1/4 ounce.
Never got real good at this game but it was super fun. A lot of Pigeon shooters would show up.They said the big difference was real pigeons get out of the box slow and pick up speed by the time they get to the fence where ZZ's take off fast and would loose speed by the time they reached the fence.

ZZ is the most fun shotgun game I have tried. Cyril Adams once opined to me that ZZ's is a much more difficult game than boxed birds and from what little I have shot boxed birds, I would agree. The group I shot with would, that included Cyril, regularly have someone shoot 26-28 out 30. I was never that good, 16-20 was my average best.

Most of the group shot s/s with a mix of o/u's. My gun is a Rem 1894 10ga. hammer that had been chamber sleeved to 12 and restocked as a pigeon gun.

The shells were 1140 FPS 1 oz #8.5 (what I had) others used high volicity 1 oz 7.5 an 8's.
bill